Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says he is “flabbergasted”
that President Muhammadu Buhari has not called the Department of State Services
(DSS), to order over its alleged case against Godwin Emefiele, governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Recently, it emerged that the DSS had approached a federal
high court in Abuja seeking a warrant to arrest Emefiele over allegations that
he was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
J.T Tsoho, the chief judge, declined the application and
held that the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to
substantiate its claims.
There were suggestions that the bid to arrest Emefiele might be political given the impact the redesign of the naira and limit on cash withdrawals might have on vote-buying in the elections.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television
programme, Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the government must
not be seen as engaging in “cheap blackmail”.
He said the secret police should file a proper charge
against Emefiele so that he could enter into defense.
“I can say without fear or contradiction that Mr Godwin
Emefiele is not in Nigeria, he hasn’t returned to the country because he has
been quietly declared wanted by the State Security Service (SSS),” Falana said.
“This can only happen in a banana republic where the
governor of the CBN will be accused of a grave offense of terrorism financing.
The details are not stipulated, they are not outlined. These guys play on our
collective intelligence because they know we are very forgetful.
“You can’t raise such a serious allegation against a
governor of the CBN and then pretend that nothing has happened.
“Has the government considered the enormous implications of
the effect of a wanted governor of the CBN on the economy?
“I expect the SSS to come out with the allegations, and if
Mr Emefiele is not going to return to the country, file a charge in the federal
high court so that he can get his lawyers and prepare his defense.
“The government must
not engage in cheap blackmail. I am completely flabbergasted that the president
of our country has not intervened either to call the SSS to order or order Mr
Emefiele to return to the country or be fired – but we can’t go on like this
like we are operating in a banana republic. It is so embarrassing.”
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